Hepatitis B Foundation & Hep B United Phila. Celebrate Awareness Efforts at Dragon Boat Regatta

May 31, 2012 - PRLog -- The Hepatitis B Foundation and its citywide awareness and education campaign to save lives and stop hepatitis B, Hep B United Philadelphia, invites community members to join them at the 2012 Independence Dragon Boat Regatta on June 2, 2012 – as a grand finale to National Hepatitis Awareness Month.

The Hepatitis B Foundation and the Hep B United Philadelphia coalition have gathered a full team of 25 Dragon Boat rowers, named Team Philadelphia Hep B Heroes, which includes local medical students, healthcare professionals and Foundation and coalition staff members, friends and supporters. The team will compete three times between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. during the regatta, which will be held along Kelly Drive in Philadelphia.

“We were so pleased to have so many people sign up and take part in our Philadelphia Hep B Heroes rowing team,” said Chari Cohen, Hepatitis B Foundation Associate Director of Public Health. “Participating in the Dragon Boat Regatta is a great way for both the Hepatitis B Foundation and Hep B United Philadelphia to celebrate all of its hard work to create awareness about hepatitis B as an urgent health priority in Philadelphia during National Hepatitis Awareness Month (May) and throughout the year.”

Spectators are welcome and encouraged to come out and help cheer the Hep B Heroes on to victory. The Foundation will also have a team tent and informational booth where the organization will be raffling off a new iPad 3. Individual raffle tickets will be sold for $10 and three tickets for $20. All proceeds will directly benefit the dedicated work and mission of the Foundation to save lives and stop hepatitis B. To learn more about the event and how you can participate, go to http://hepbunitedphiladelphia.org/dragonboat.

"It’s great that the Hepatitis B Foundation and Hep B United Philadelphia coalition will be participating in the 6th Annual Independence Dragon Boat Regatta,” said Kenneth Wong, Chairman / President of the Philadelphia Dragon Boat Association. “The racing part is fun, but it’s their important message about hepatitis B testing, prevention and treatment that is so valuable to everyone! I encourage everyone coming to the regatta on June 2 to stop by and get some information – it could save their life and the life of a loved one."

About Hep B United Philadelphia: Hep B United Philadelphia is a public health campaign led by the Hepatitis B Foundation to address the growing severity of hepatitis B and liver cancer in the U.S. by increasing hepatitis B testing and vaccination rates, particularly among at-risk populations; and mobilizing stakeholders to improve both the prevention and treatment of hepatitis B and liver cancer. To learn more, go to www.hepbunitedphiladelphia.org.

About the Hepatitis B Foundation: The Hepatitis B Foundation is the only national nonprofit organization solely dedicated to finding a cure for hepatitis B and improving the quality of life for those affected worldwide through research, education and patient advocacy. To learn more, go to www.hepb.org, read our blog at http://wp.hepb.org, follow us on Twitter @HepBFoundation, find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/hepbfoundation or call (215) 489-4900.

About the Independence Dragon Boat Regatta: The Independence Dragon Boat Regatta introduces, coaches and races teams of 20 novice or experienced paddlers in a three-heat Dragon Boat Regatta (500 meter distance) that is an annual family-friendly event held in Philadelphia. The regatta is under the management of the Philadelphia Dragon Boat Association and is organized for the purposes of fostering enjoyment of this team-building activity and raising funds for local charities. To learn more, go to http://www.independencedragonboat.com/.